Missing Georgia Lesbian Found Dead Inside Her Vehicle

For Michelle Alexander, the unthinkable happened -- her girlfriend of five months, Carlisa Lawson, was found dead December 4 in McDonough, Georgia.

"Clayton County detectives were searching in the area of the last known location of Ms. Carlisa Lawson," wrote Clayton County Police Department Community Affairs Officer Sgt. Kevin Hughes in a December 4 press release. "After searching in that area, the search was expanded to include the city of McDonough. Ms. Lawson was found deceased inside of her vehicle in the city of McDonough approximately at 11 p.m. The city of McDonough is investigating the cause of death."

Alexander and her family had been desperately trying to get authorities to search for Lawson, 40, after she went missing on November 19. For almost three weeks, Alexander and Lawson’s family had been holding out hope that Lawson would return to her family alive.

On Alexander’s Facebook page on Wednesday, December 5, she posted, "It is with the greatest level of sadness that I have to come to you all and let you know that Lisa has been found, but she is no longer with us. We really do not care to discuss the details so please understand if I don’t respond. We are working on arrangements and will let everyone know when services will be. #lisamatters Rest In Peace Lisa... I love you more than Love..."

It seemed the two had finally found their soul mates in each other. In an interview with EDGE on Sunday, Alexander recalled fondly how they met. With a faint chuckle, Alexander said the two met like most lesbians meet -- at El Azteca, a favorite Midtown Mexican restaurant.

"I’m usually the bold one," Alexander recalled. "So, I started talking to her, and we had a lot in common and had similar backgrounds."

The two became fast friends and remained so for four years before taking their friendship to the next level, after their individual tumultuous relationships had ended. They had been dating for five months.

Unfortunately, the two didn’t get to spend their first Thanksgiving together. They had plans to share a Thanksgiving meal that Alexander would cook. But, Lawson went missing before the much-anticipated holiday, and Alexander was in no mood to cook. Instead it became one of several of Alexander’s hardest days to get through.

Finally, needing to get out of her house, she called on friends to join her for a restaurant Thanksgiving dinner that she really didn’t eat. And, although she said she has a very supportive group of friends, it wasn’t enough to really make her get her thoughts off of the love of her life. So, she continued to busy herself trying to get the word out about Lawson.

After showcasing her tough girl exterior to everyone around her, Alexander allowed herself to break down. She spent Saturday in bed and allowed herself to cry. She said she had finally found someone who brought peace to her spirit, adding that Lawson was supportive of her dreams and goals.

"I’m missing her energy, her company, her smell and her partnership," Alexander told EDGE on Sunday.

Since Lawson’s disappearance, Alexander had been on a mission to get the Clayton County Police Department to actively investigate the case. She said her calls went unreturned. She had also been trying to get local mainstream media outlets to cover the case.

The family waited the necessary 24 hours before filing a Missing Person report, but Alexander said that it was eight days before the police made contact with them to begin looking into the case.

Desperate, Alexander and the family wanted answers because just leaving without telling anyone where she was going was not typical for Lawson.

"For her to disappear is uncharacteristic of her," Alexander said of Lawson.

Taking matters into her own hands, Alexander set up a website, www.findlisalawson.com/. On the website, there is a video with Alexander talking about her love for Lawson and urging people to spread the word about Lawson’s disappearance. The video also urged people to share the video and to submit emails through the website that would be sent to the Clayton County Police Department, media outlets to get them to actively pursue the case. It was posted on YouTube and viewers of the video were asked to share it on social media networks.

According to Alexander, she spent the night at Lawson’s home in Jonesboro on November 18. Alexander said when Lawson came to bed that night she was stressed out and upset about some things. On Monday morning, Alexander, a blogger and Internet talk show host and a cast member of "The Other Women," a lesbian-based reality series, kissed Lawson goodbye and went to work. That would be the last time she would see her girlfriend.

Throughout the day on Monday, November 19, Alexander said she received a few text messages from Lawson telling her that she loved her. Typical of the two of them, Alexander continued to try and be encouraging and provide support. She tried assuring her girlfriend with a return text that everything would be OK.

According to Sgt. Hughes, "Lawson left Clayton County driving her green 2001 Chevrolet Suburban taking her daughter to work in McDonough, Ga. After dropping off her daughter at work, Lisa sent out text messages to family members saying she loved them. The last documented location of her cell phone and vehicle is in the McDonough area off Jonesboro Road headed toward the city of McDonough." The release also stated that family members believed that Lawson might do harm to herself.

Lawson, 5’10", 175 pounds had been last seen wearing a red Atlanta Falcons sweatshirt, black sweat pants and shoes to match. According to the FindLisaLawson website, her brown, blondish/reddish hair was worn in a variety of styles. Her cell phone had been dead since November 21 and was untraceable.

According to Alexander, Lawson’s clothes and major things were still in her home. The only thing she noticed that was missing was a part of a necklace the two of them shared. Lawson’s half of necklace had the inscription, "Pursue joy in all you do."

Lawson was originally from Cobb County in Georgia and had been athlete most of her life. She had previously been a member of the Atlanta Xplosion women’s full contact football team. She also coached a girl’s basketball team during the off-season. She was also the founder of a nonprofit, Forever Tomorrow, which provided tutoring services to high school student athletes and focused on making academics a priority, Alexander said.

"Lisa I love you more than love. When we met, I knew you were an awesome woman, and four years later when we fell in love, I knew you were the one my heart could rest with," wrote Alexander in a second post on Facebook on December 5. "You loved me for me and in a way that no one ever had... You will always be my Lisa Love... Seek Joy in All You Do... That was always my message to you. So now, as you are surrounded by a love that surpasses all understanding, know that you will forever be in my heart and in my spirit and your energy is with me. I breathe you.... Rest in Power and Joy."

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